Kill/Scoresteaks have been a staple of the Call of Duty franchise since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's release in 2007. Despite having just three Killstreaks, Call of Duty 4 laid a strong blueprint for the rest of the franchise to follow, with its Radar, Airstrike, and Helicopter all still being used today in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in one form or another.
Returning to the Scorestreak system first introduced in Black Ops 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is home to 18 separate power-ups. Many of these are long-time staples of the franchise, such as UAV, RC-XD, Care Package, Napalm Strike, and Chopper Gunner. But Black Ops 6 has its fair share of new Scorestreaks, one of which is a variation on a fan-favorite and the best it's ever been.
It's the End of an Era for Call of Duty
It is officially the end of an era for the long-running Call of Duty franchise.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Dreadnought Raises the Bar for Future Scorestreaks
Call of Duty Has Had Plenty of Gunship Killstreaks Over The Years
While it may not have been called a "Gunship" just yet, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's AC-130 Killstreak laid the foundations for what would quickly become one of the franchise's most popular, most effective abilities. In the gunner seat of the AC-130, players could cycle between a 25mm Gatling Gun, 40mm Cannon, and a 105mm Howitzer, all of which could be used to decimate the opposing team in milliseconds. With two flares on board, the AC-130 could withstand a total of three RPG shots.
Call of Duty: Black Ops introduced the first officially titled Gunship Killstreak, allowing players to manually pilot the chopper above the battlefield. Call of Duty: WW2 and the more recent Vanguard put a historic spin on the Gunship Killstreak, letting players use the ball turret on a B-17 bomber to rain fire from above.
All three of Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot titles have featured a Gunship Killstreak, with all three functioning very similarly to the original Modern Warfare 2 AC-130 ability, albeit with much-improved visuals and sound effects. But while the Gunship still feels like a suitably powerful reward, its increased frequency in recent years has left some fans wanting something new. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has just the thing.
How Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Dreadnought Stands Out From the Crowd
Available after earning a whopping 1800 score, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Dreadnought is the most expensive Scorestreak in the game, but it's more than worth the lofty price tag. Rather than just appear instantly in the gunner seat, Black Ops 6's Dreadnought Scorestreak plays a very brief cinematic first that shows the player-character in the cockpit of the gunship, flipping a few switches, checking on the gigantic bomb behind them in the cargo hold, and turning to man the gunner station.
When the player's time in the Dreadnought's gunner seat is over, another very brief cinematic plays, this time showing the player-character moving towards the back of the plane and releasing the aforementioned bomb on unsuspecting foes below. Though they're only a second or two each, these cinematics go a long way in making Black Ops 6's Dreadnought feel like a major event and not just a temporary power-up.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Dreadnought also has a unique death animation for when the plane is destroyed, instead showing the Daisy Cutter bomb exploding inside the cargo hold.
But a Scorestreak can't rely on flashy visuals alone. Thankfully, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Dreadnought feels incredibly satisfying to use. Much like previous iterations of the gunship, the Dreadnought lets players cycle through three powerful weapons, those being Rocket Pods, a Dual Barrel Cannon, and a Gatling Gun. Each of these weapons sounds appropriately dramatic, and they're as efficient as ever at wiping out enemy players who dare to walk out from enclosed cover. And to top it off, the Scorestreak ends with a Daisy Cutter bomb slowly making its way down to the battlefield, wiping out anyone still standing.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- Cross Save
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
- Prequel(s)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: World at War
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- How Long To Beat
- 8 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 216 GB (October 2024)
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
